The war in Ukraine is driven by the interests of several “empires” and not just Russia, Pope Francis said in an interview published on Friday (10).
Francis claimed that the conflict was fomented by “imperial interests, not just of the Russian empire, but of empires elsewhere”.
He expressed willingness to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin to ask for peace.
The pontiff spoke to Italian-Swiss television RSI, in an interview that will be broadcast on Sunday. Excerpts were published on Friday by Italian newspapers La Repubblica, La Stampa and Corriere della Sera.
Francis, who is 86 and celebrates the 10th anniversary of his election on March 13, has also said he will resign if he becomes too tired and loses the ability to govern the Roman Catholic Church.
Last month, he had said that papal resignations should only take place in exceptional circumstances.
His predecessor Benedict XVI, who died on Dec. 31 aged 95, became the first pontiff to resign in nearly 600 years when he stepped down in 2013.
Asked what would lead him to make the same decision, Francisco said: “A tiredness that doesn’t make you see things clearly. A lack of clarity, of knowing how to assess situations”.
Francisco said he is “a little embarrassed” to use a wheelchair due to a knee ailment.
“I’m old. I have less physical stamina, the knee (problem) was a physical humiliation, even if the recovery is going well now, ”he said.
Source: CNN Brasil
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